Backing apparatus.



E. KEEFE.

BACKING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9. i916.

1 1 83,649. Patented May 16, 1916.

WITNESSES //v 1/5/11 TOR [dim/d4??? W ATTORNEYS THE COLUMHIA PLANOGRAPH 60-. WASHINGTON. D. c.

mrnn %TATE% PATENT @FFTCE.

EDWARD KEEFE, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIG-NOR F ONE-HALF TO FLOYD E. WILD'ER, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

BACKING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1916.

Application filed February 9, 1916. Serial No. 77,157.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I EDWARD KEEFE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Backing Apparatus, of whlch the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to electrotyping and 10 more particularly to the reinforcing of the thin copper shells by a metal backmg to form a strong and durable printmg plate.

The object of the invention is to provlde a new and improved backing apparatus ar ranged to permit of conveniently meltlng the solder on the back of the copper shell and to then pour the molten backing metal onto the solder and without danger of splashing of the molten backing metal and dispensing entirely with the use of ladles and overhead means for carrylng the tray or pan containing the shell from one appa-- ratus to the other.

In order to accomplish the des1red result, use is made of a fixed melting furnace adapted to contain a backing metal and provided with a spout and with a manually controlled valve controlling the outflow of the molten metal from the furnace onto the spout, a fixed stand spaced from the front of the said furnace and provided with heating means for heating the tray or pan'supported on the stand and containing the shell and solder, and a portable backing table adapted to be moved between the said furnace and the said fixed stand to receive the tray or pan from the stand and to support the tray or pan directly under the said spout to allow the molten backing metal to flow into I the tray on the operator opening the said valve.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in

which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the backing apparatus with portions shown 1n elevation; and Fig. 2 is a plan vlew of the same with the hood of the stationary melting furnace removed.

In the manufacture of electroplates for printing, a very thin copper shell is first produced by electroplating in the usual manner and the face of the shell is next hardened by a coating of steel, or nickel, or other means. The shell is next reinforced with a backing and this is done by first melting solder on the back of the shell and then pouring the molten backing metal onto the solder to the required thickness to form a strong printing plate. Heretofore, this backlng operation was carried out by placing the shell face down in a tray or pan, then placing the sheet of solder onto the back of the shell and heating the pan in a melting pot to melt the solder and thereby coat the back of the shell. The tray was next trans ferred by an overhead conveyer from the melting pot to a make-up table and then the molten backing metal contained in a ladle was poured into the tray for sweating the backing metal onto the shell. In carrylng out this operation the operators were liable to be burned by the splashing of the backing metal when pouring the same from a ladle into the tray or pan, and besides conslderable time was consumed in moving the pan about. By the apparatus presently'to be described in detail, the overhead carrier and the ladle are entirely dispensed with and the backing operation is carried out 1n a comparatively short time and without danger of the operator being burned by the molten metal.

The backing apparatus in its general construction consists of a heating stand 10, a portable table 11 and a melting furnace 12 having a melting pot 13 adapted to contain the backing metal 14 kept in a molten state by gas burners or other suitable heating means 15. On the top of the heating stand 10 are mounted transversely extending shafts 16 carrying flanged rollers 17 supporting a tray or pan 18 containing the thin copper shell 19 with theface downward to allow of coating the back of the shell with solder 20. The heating stand 10 is provided with gas burners or other suitable heatingmeans 21 to heat the pan or tray 18 with a view to melt the solder 20 so that the latter coats the back of the shell 19.

The portable table 11 is provided with casters 25 to permit of conveniently rolling the table between the fixed heating stand 10 and the fixed melting furnace 12, as plainly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The top of the table 11 is provided with transversely extending shafts 26 carrying flanged rollers 27 similar to the shafts and rollers 16 and 17 on the heating stand 10, the rollers 27 being level with the rollers 17 and in alinement with the same at the time the portable table is in position next to the heating stand 10, as shown in Fig. 1 to permit of conveniently pushing the pan 18 off the rollers 17 and onto the rollers 27 to support the pan on the said rollers, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The pan when in this position extends directly under the lateral swinging terminal 30 of a spout 31 extending from the under side of the pot 13, as plainly indicated in the drawings. The bottom of the pot 13 is provided with a valve seat 32 controlled by a valve 33 which when opened permits the molten backing metal 14 to flow through the valve seat 32 into and down the spout 31 to be directed by the terminal 30 directly into the pan or tray 18 and onto the solder 20 by which the backing metal is sweated onto the back of the shell 19 to form a strong and durable printing plate. The terminal 30 is preferably provided with a I handle 34 under the control of the operator to direct the molten metal to the middle or to the sides of the pan or tray 18 to insure a uniform distribution of the molten metal in the tray or pan 18.

The opening and closing of the valve 33 is controlled by an operator manipulating a treadle 40 fulcrumed at 41 on the front of the melting furnace 12 so that the same operator can control the opening and closing movement of the valve 33 and at the same time manipulate the terminal 30 of the spout 31. The treadle 40 is pivotally connected by a link 42 with a lever 43 fulcrumed on a bracket 44 arranged on the top of the melting pot 13, and the inner end of the lever 43 is pivotally connected with the upper end of the valve stem 45 of the valve 33. A spring 46 is coiled on the link 42 and rests with one end on a bracket 47 attached to the front of the melting furnace 12, and the other end of the spring abuts against a collar 48 secured to the link 42. By the arrangement described, the valve 33 is normally held in a closed position, but when the operator swings the treadle 40 downward against the tension of the spring 46 then the valve 33 is lifted ofi its seat 32 to allow the molten backing metal 14 to flow into the spout 31, as previously explained. After the desired amount of backing metal has passed into the tray or pan 18, the operator releases the treadle 40 to allow the spring'46 to return the valve 33 to closed position on its valve seat 32. After the backing operation has been completed the table 11 is pushed from between the stand 10 and the and first placed on the rollers 17 of the stand 10.

The melting pot 13 of the furnace 12 is preferably provided with a hood 50 having a door 51 for placing the solid metal into the pot. The hood is also provided with a flue 52 adapted to be connected with a chimney for carrying off the obnoxious gases arising from the molten metal in the pot 13. By allowing the molten metal to flow out of the pot at the bottom thereof only clean metal passes into the tray or pan for backing purposes as the dross and other foreign matter rises to the surface of the molten metal and hence does not pass into the tray or pan.

It will be noticed that by the use of the apparatus a large number of shells can be provided with a metal backing in a comparatively short time and without the use of overhead conveying devices or ladles, as it 1s only a simple operation to push the tray or pan from the rollers 17 onto the rollers 27.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A backing apparatus for printing plates, comprising a melting furnace adapted to contain a backing metal and provided with a spout, and with a manually controlled valve controlling the outflow of the molten metal from the furnace into the spout, a stand having heating means and adapted to support a tray containing the shell and solder to melt the latter on the back of the shell, and a portable backing table adapted to be moved between the said furnace and the said stand to receive the said tray from the said stand and support the tray directly under the said spout to allow the molten metal from the said furnace to flow into the tray on the operator openingthe said valve.

2. A backing apparatus for printing plates, comprising a fixed melting furnace adapted to contain a backing metal and provided with a spout and with a manually controlled valve controlling the outflow of the molten metal from the furnace onto the spout, a fixed stand spaced from the front of the said furnace and provided with heatmg means for heating a tray supported on the stand, and a portable backing table adapted to be moved between the said furnace and the said fixed stand to receive the tray from the latter and to support the tray directly under the said spout to allow the molten backing metal to flow into the tray on the operator opening the said valve.

3. A backing apparatus for printing plates, comprising a fixed melting furnace adapted to contain a backing metal and provided with a spout and with a manually controlled valve controlling the outflow of the molten metal from the furnace onto the spout, a fixed stand spaced from the front of the said furnace and provided on top with spout to allow the molten backing metal to rollers for supporting a tray, heating means flow into the tray on the operator opening on the said fixed stand for heating the tray the said valve. and its contents, and a'portable table-adapt- In testimony whereof I have signed my 5 ed to be moved between the said stand and name to this specification in the presence 15 the said furnace, the table having rollers on of two subscribing witnesses.

a level with the rollers on the said stand EDWARD KEEFE. to allow of pushing the tray from the said WVitnesses: stand onto the rollers of the table to sup- THEO. G. Hosanna,

10 port the tray directly under the end of the PHILIP D. ROLLHAUS.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of intents, Washington, D. G." 

